Eric Greenberg's The Celebrant resonates with several of the themes present in such works as The Natural, 8 Men Out, Bang The Drum Slowly, The Universal Baseball Association, Shoeless Joe, and Fences. Some of these themes are: the early demise of the promising young athlete, in the form of young Mr. Kapp and his dead arm; The phenomenon of the extraordinary baseball player, in this case the legendary Christy Matthewson, performing in singular fashion; and the dynamic of the adoring fan, in this instance the over-awed Jackie Kapp, who stands almost directly behind home plate as Matthewson pitches and incredible game and becomes a witness to history.
             Jackie Kapp has a once-in-a-lifetime experience when he watches Matthewson craft his no-hit, no-run game on July 15, 1901. Not only does Kapp connect with Matthewson during the event, he is pulled into it, heart and soul, thereby becoming one with Christy. He says " I watched Matthewson and he became my youth; It was my fastball burning...It was my curve.." ( 26 ) Mattyhewson's heroic effort in hurling the no-hitter is rewarded by the adoration of his team, the fans and most specifically by Kapp, who is smitten with the hurler. The event is so intense that Kapp is moved to give a physical manifestation to it, and this is why he is compelled to design the emerald ring.
             Jackie's desire to capture the moment forever impels him logically to the ring. A ring symbolizes the eternal, for it has no beginning and no end. This connotes the moment of perfection that is shared between the two; a moment that is frozen in time forever in the gold and diamonds of that perfect circle. In crafting the ring for Matthewson, Kapp wishes to sanctify their shared event for all eternity. The passion that Kapp feels for the event and for Matthewson also causes him to change the ring from an emerald to a ruby, which is red with the
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